Guatemala

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 921,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

4 privately owned national terrestrial TV channels dominate TV broadcasting; multi-channel satellite and cable services are available; 1 government-owned radio station and hundreds of privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.gt

Internet users

percent of population: 56% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1.94 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 20.6 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, maize, cantaloupes/melons, potatoes, milk, tomatoes, chicken, pineapples (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on food: 35.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

revenues: $16.603 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $17.349 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

$3.333 billion (2024 est.) $3.212 billion (2023 est.) $1.116 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$11.862 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

developing Central American economy; steady economic growth fueled by remittances; high poverty and income inequality; limited government services, lack of employment opportunities, and frequent natural disasters impede human development efforts and drive emigration

Exchange rates

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 7.759 (2024 est.) 7.832 (2023 est.) 7.748 (2022 est.) 7.734 (2021 est.) 7.722 (2020 est.)

Exports

$17.997 billion (2024 est.) $17.342 billion (2023 est.) $18.141 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

garments, bananas, coffee, palm oil, raw sugar (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

USA 33%, El Salvador 11%, Honduras 9%, Nicaragua 6%, Mexico 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$113.2 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 88% (2024 est.) government consumption: 10.9% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 16.1% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0.6% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 15.9% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -31.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 9.8% (2024 est.) industry: 21.7% (2024 est.) services: 61.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

45.2 (2023 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.6% (2023 est.) highest 10%: 34.1% (2023 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$35.576 billion (2024 est.) $33.056 billion (2023 est.) $33.943 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, video displays, cars, trucks, packaged medicine (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

USA 30%, China 19%, Mexico 11%, El Salvador 4%, Costa Rica 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (2024 est.) 6.2% (2023 est.) 6.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

7.575 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

56% (2023 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

31.56% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$232.673 billion (2024 est.) $224.475 billion (2023 est.) $216.815 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

3.7% (2024 est.) 3.5% (2023 est.) 4.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$12,600 (2024 est.) $12,400 (2023 est.) $12,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

19.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 19.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 19% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$24.412 billion (2024 est.) $21.311 billion (2023 est.) $20.415 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

11.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.3% (2024 est.) 2.4% (2023 est.) 3.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 4.2% (2024 est.) male: 4% (2024 est.) female: 4.7% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

consumption: 1.012 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 20 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 808,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 4.995 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 12.222 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 1.104 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 1.573 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.716 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 99.1% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 97.7% electrification - rural areas: 98.2%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 25.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) geothermal: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 25.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

17.096 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 2.016 million cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 117,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 86.11 million barrels (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

18.546 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.31 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 16.232 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Environmental issues

deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

International environmental agreements

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 43% (2023 est.) arable land: 14.5% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 11% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 17.5% (2023 est.) forest: 33.2% (2023 est.) other: 23.7% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

21.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

127.91 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 835 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 603.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 1.886 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.757 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 10.4% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 108,889 sq km land: 107,159 sq km water: 1,730 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Coastline

400 km

Elevation

highest point: Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 759 m

Geographic coordinates

15 30 N, 90 15 W

Geography - note

note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes

Irrigated land

3,375 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 1,667 km border countries (4): Belize 266 km; El Salvador 199 km; Honduras 244 km; Mexico 958 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43% (2023 est.) arable land: 14.5% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 11% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 17.5% (2023 est.) forest: 33.2% (2023 est.) other: 23.7% (2023 est.)

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lago de Izabal - 590 sq km

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m) is one of the country's most active volcanoes, with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas

Terrain

two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands

Administrative divisions

22 departments ( departamentos , singular - departamento ); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatep quez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solol , Suchitep quez, Totonicap n, Zacapa

Capital

name: Guatemala City geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation"; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Rep blica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala etymology: the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024) embassy: Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City mailing address: 3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC 20521-3190 telephone: [502] 2354-0000 FAX: [502] 2326-4654 email address and website: AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov https://gt.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo Eduardo BETETA (since 17 June 2024) chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-4953 FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908 email address and website: embestadosunidos@minex.gob.gt https://estadosunidos.minex.gob.gt/home/home.aspx consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha (NE), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Rockville (MD), San Francisco, Seattle consulate(s): Dallas, Del Rio (TX), Lake Worth (FL), McAllen (TX), Riverhead (NY), San Bernardino (CA), Tucson (AZ)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (since 15 January 2024) head of government: President Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (since 15 January 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms) most recent election date: 25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023 election results: 2023: Bernardo AR VALO de Le n elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 21%; Bernardo AR VALO de Le n (SEMILLA) 15.6%, Manuel CONDE Orellana (VAMOS) 10.4%; Armando CASTILLO Alvarado (VIVA) 9.6%, other 43.4%; percent of vote in second round - Bernardo AR VALO de Le n 60.9%, Sandra TORRES 39.1% 2019: Alejandro GIAMMATTEI elected president; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 25.5%, Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (VAMOS) 14%, Edmond MULET (PHG) 11.2%, Thelma CABRERA (MLP) 10.4%, Roberto ARZU (PAN-PODEMOS) 6.1%, other 32.8%; percent of vote in second round - Alejandro GIAMMATTEI 58%, Sandra TORRES 42% expected date of next election: June 2027 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of light blue (left side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green-and-red quetzal (the national bird), a scroll with the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain), a pair of crossed rifles, and a pair of crossed swords; a laurel wreath frames the objects meaning: the rifles stand for Guatemala's willingness to defend itself, the swords for honor, and the laurel wreath for victory; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and white for peace and purity note: one of two national flags featuring a firearm -- the other is Mozambique

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term subordinate courts: Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts note 1: the Supreme Court of Justice president also supervises trial judges countrywide note 2: the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislature name: Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 160 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/25/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39); National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28); Seed Movement (Semilla) (23); Cabal (18); Vision with Values (VIVA) (11); Other (41) percentage of women in chamber: 20% expected date of next election: June 2027

National anthem(s)

title: "Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala) lyrics/music: Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE history: adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem and it was not discovered until 1911; anthem has four verses with four separate choruses at the end of each verse -- all are official, and the anthem is sung in its entirety when performed in Guatemala

National color(s)

blue, white

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Antigua Guatemala (c); Tikal National Park (m); Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c); National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj (c)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

quetzal (bird)

Political parties

Bienestar Nacional or BIEN Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue CABAL Cambio Citizen Prosperity or PC Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA National Advancement Party or PAN National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION National Unity for Hope or UNE Nationalist Change Union or UCN (dissolved 16 December 2021) Nosotros or PPN PODEMOS Political Movement Winaq or Winaq TODOS Value or VALOR Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS Victory or VICTORIA Vision with Values or VIVA Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal note: active-duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Background

The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict.

Military - note

the military is responsible for maintaining the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the honor of Guatemala, but has long focused on internal security; since the 2000s, the Guatemalan Government has used the military to support the National Civil Police in internal security operations (as permitted by the constitution) to combat organized crime, gang violence, and narco-trafficking; other responsibilities include border security, cybersecurity, and providing humanitarian assistance; it also participates in UN missions on a small scale and has a peacekeeping operations training command that offers training to regional countries; the military has security ties with regional partners such as Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras; cooperation with El Salvador and Honduras has included a combined police-military anti-gang task force to patrol border areas; it also has ties with the US, including joint training exercises and material assistance the military held power during most of Guatemala s 36-year civil war (1960-1996) and conducted a campaign of widespread violence and repression, particularly against the country s majority indigenous population; more than 200,000 people were estimated to have been killed or disappeared during the conflict (2025)

Military and security forces

Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala; aka Armed Forces of Guatemala or Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala): Land Forces (Fuerzas de Tierra), Naval Forces (Fuerzas de Mar), and Air Force (Fuerza de Aire) (2025) note: the National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil or PNC) are under the Ministry of Government (Interior)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 20,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military deployments

180 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military is lightly armed with an inventory mostly comprised of ageing US equipment; in recent years, the US has provided additional secondhand equipment (2025)

Military expenditures

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 for voluntary service for men and women (17-21 for military schools); all Guatemalan men 18-49 are subject to selective compulsory service; service obligation is 12-24 months (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.5% (male 2,925,079/female 2,819,927) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 5,688,500/female 5,839,958) 65 years and over: 5.4% (2024 est.) (male 437,105/female 544,647)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

17.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 6.2% (2015) women married by age 18: 29.5% (2015) men married by age 18: 9.6% (2015)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

14.4% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.2% (2018 est.)

Death rate

4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 58.3 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 49.8 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 8.5 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 11.7 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91% of population (2022 est.) total: 94.6% of population (2022 est.) urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 9% of population (2022 est.) total: 5.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

3.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 17.3% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) 56%, Maya 41.7%, Xinca (Indigenous, non-Maya) 1.8%, African descent 0.2%, Garifuna (mixed West and Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak) 0.1%, foreign 0.2% (2018 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.96 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

6.9% of GDP (2021) 16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7% (Q'eqchi' 8.3%, K'iche 7.8%, Mam 4.4%, Kaqchikel 3%, Q'anjob'al 1.2%, Poqomchi' 1%, other 4%), other 0.4% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2018 est.) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23 indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinca, and Garifuna

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.5 years (2024 est.) male: 71.5 years female: 75.6 years

Literacy

total population: 82.1% (2024 est.) male: 86.9% (2024 est.) female: 78.5% (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.095 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

94 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 26.7 years (2025 est.) male: 24.2 years female: 25.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.6 years (2014/15 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan

Net migration rate

-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.2% (2016)

Physician density

1.28 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

total: 18,255,216 (2024 est.) male: 9,050,684 female: 9,204,532

Population distribution

the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas

Population growth rate

0.99% (2025 est.)

Religions

Evangelical 45.7%, Roman Catholic 42.4%, none 11%, unspecified 0.9% (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 68.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 80.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 31.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 19.2% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years (2023 est.) male: 10 years (2023 est.) female: 11 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 11.8% (2025 est.) male: 22.5% (2025 est.) female: 1.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Illicit drugs

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 4,676 (2024 est.) IDPs: 572,813 (2024 est.)

Airports

58 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TG

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 9 (2023) by type: oil tanker 1, other 8

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Railways

total: 800 km (2018) narrow gauge: 800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)